I watched an interesting video on CNN (Larry King Live) this morning in which Larry and a panel of people discussed the safety of meat in relation to E. coli contamination. Specifically, this video covered the topic of paralysis or death from eating contaminated meat and how it is under-reported in the media.
Most people on the panel, when asked if they ate meat said “certain kinds of meat” but they failed to specify which. Only one man, Bill Marler, an expert on foodborne illness litigation, noted that he did not eat hamburger because of the specific dangers in regard to its handling, noting that the stomach, which contains E. coli, is often cut during handling, allowing the E. coli to escape where it can be mixed in with the meat.
I know for a fact that you have to watch what you say on the air for fear of being sued by various industries and the meat industry is notorious for this. Recall the case against Oprah Winfrey by the meat industry.
In a carefully worded statement, Barbara Kowalcyk, director of food safety at the Center for Foodborne Illness Research and Prevention, said the following:
"We do not want to tell people what to eat or what not to eat," she said. "We want consumers to have the information they need to make educated choices about what they feed themselves and their loved ones. And we want better protections in this country for food. Americans believe that their food is safe, and they have a right to know the risks."
I can understand not wanting to tell people what to eat but I will say this: Mass produced animal products have a higher risk for contamination. If you didn’t kill it yourself, I would think twice about eating it.
For the original article, go to CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/13/lkl.meat.infection/
Or for the video:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/10/13/lkl.meat.infection/#cnnSTCVideo
